Posted June 11, Reviewed by Lybi Ma. Since its launch inthe dating app, Tinder, has received quite a bit of publicity. It's one of the most popular lifestyle apps with over 10 million daily active users. For the uninitiated, Tinder is a mobile dating app that allows users to locate other singles in their geographic area. Users fill out a brief bio and upload photos. They can then start viewing photos of other users who match their age, genderand location criteria.

They are then notified of any matches, where both people swiped right on each other's profiles. In the popular mediaTinder very much has the reputation of being a "hookup" app, designed to facilitate fleeting sexual encounters.

At the peak of the Tinder hype, an article in Vanity Fair announced that Tinder represented the " dawn of the dating apocalypse.

A recently published study by Leah LeFebvre surveyed young adults ages 18 to 34 who said they had used Tinder. The researchers then coded participants' responses into categories. So what recommend what are the best dating sites for seniors for the most commonly cited reason for using Tinder? It's popular: Only about 5 percent of those surveyed indicated that the desire for hookups was their main motivation for joining the site.

This data is summarized in the table below. The participants were also asked what was the purpose of Tinder. While this open-ended data is valuable, it doesn't provide the whole story on why people use Tinder. Participants in LeFebvre's study were asked what their main reason was for using the app, but people often have multiple motivations for their behaviors. Someone might primarily have joined Tinder because it seemed like the cool thing to do, but that person might also have a desire to meet a potential romantic partner or hookup.

In another recent study, by Sindy Sumter and colleagues, a sample of Dutch Tinder users rated the extent to which various motives described their reasons for using Tinder. The categories and the average ratings of the participants for each category are summarized in the table below. The most common motives for using Tinder: it's exciting and it's trendy. Another common motive that wasn't cited in the LeFebvre study was self-worth validation. It was not uncommon for participants to use the app because they wanted positive feedback on Tinder or because receiving such feedback just good.

Https://telegram-web.online/mature-dating-apps-for-iphone.php, finding a romantic partner was also a relatively common reason for using Tinder. As can be seen in the table, using the app for casual sex and hookups was actually less common than these other motives. Not surprisingly, both studies also suggested that tinder are more likely than women to use Tinder for the purpose of seeking out casual sex.

These studies show that using Tinder meets a variety of psychological needs, beyond the hookup ones relating to dating and sex. Tinder can also be used to fulfill more general social needs. Both studies showed that just trendiness and excitement of the app were larger drivers article source its use than motivations that relate to what most users believe to be app purpose dating, sex.

It can app help to hookup our needs for self-worth. Receiving matches on See more can be an ego boost.

On the other hand, not receiving matches could damage self-worth, and in fact, LeFebvre found that lack of success on Tinder, including not receiving matches, was one of the main reasons users quit the app. In LeFebvre's qualitative study, 77 percent of the respondents indicated that they had met a match in person at some point, with the average participant reporting 4. And in fact, 37 percent reported that a Tinder date led to an exclusive dating relationship.

What about those infamous hookups? Well, these participants did do plenty of hooking up. App those who met a Tinder match in person, only Another In addition, the average number of hookups reported by the participants was just above three.

Participants in the Dutch study seemed to be less successful on Tinder. Slightly fewer than half of the participants This rate is much lower, but other data from this study indicates that these participants were overall less active on the app than the participants in LeFebvre's study. You might also be wondering how Tinder users' motives for using the app relate to their actual use of the app. LeFebvre's qualitative data couldn't really address this question, but Sumter and colleagues were able to examine the association between Tinder use motives and participants' likelihood of going on a Tinder date or having a Tinder hookup.

Hinge vs. Bumble vs. Tinder

Those who were looking for love or casual sex were more likely to go on Tinder dates. Not surprisingly, the more that participants indicated casual sex as a motive for using Tinder, the more likely they were to have a one-night stand with a Tinder match. Those who used Tinder as a way to boost their feelings of self-worth were less likely to have a one night stand. Interestingly, those who used Tinder because it seemed like an easier way to meet people were actually less likely to go on dates with Tinder matches. Perhaps these individuals were especially likely to be shy and thus ultimately didn't follow through with their Tinder matches.

Returning to the question that began this post, is Tinder really a hookup app?

The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you

Yes and no. Tinder-initiated hookups are quite common, but the notion that Tinder is primarily about hookups is overstated. Tinder users are more likely to be seeking relationships than casual sex.

Moreover, dating and sex are not the main reasons that many people are using Tinder. These two studies give us a window into the motives of Tinder users, but ultimately it's hard to generalize the findings. As I pointed out, the actual dating and hookup experiences of the two samples of participants differed considerably. So which experience is closer to that tinder the typical Tinder user?

Nonetheless, both studies suggest that much of Tinder's popularity is, ironically, due to its popularity. This may not be the best news for those who really do just Tinder to look for love or sex, as they may find that their matches don't take the app very seriously and aren't as interested in following through. We also know very little about the long-term prospects of Tinder-initiated relationships. Traditional online dating websites, like match. What does the future hold for Tinder and its users?

Only time and more research will tell. LeFebvre, L. Swiping me off my feet: Explicating relationship initiation on Tinder. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. Published online before print. Sumter, S. Telematics and Hookup, 34 1 A diagnosis often brings relief, but it can also come with as many questions as answers. Gwendolyn Seidman Ph. Close Encounters. Research explores why people use Tinder and what kinds of connections they make. Key points A survey showed the majority of people believe that Tinder is a hookup visit web page. Among those looking for romance, people are more likely to use Tinder to look for a relationship than a hookup.

Mating Essential Reads. How to Click at this page "Kittenfishing" in Online Dating.

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make

References 1. About the Author. Gwendolyn Seidman, Ph. More from Gwendolyn Seidman Ph. More from Psychology Today. Back Psychology Today. Back Find a Therapist. Back Get Help. Mental Health. Passive Aggression Personality Shyness.

Personal Growth. Low Sexual Desire Relationships Sex. Family Life. Child Development Parenting. View Help Index. Do I Need Help?

Research explores why people use Tinder and what kinds of connections they make.

Talk to Someone. Back Magazine. September Back Today. Essential Reads.